Coreopsis plant named ‘Tahitian Sun’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Tahitian Sun’ characterized by prolific, large, bicolor rust red and gold daisy-type flowers, grass green foliage, very free branching and flowering, long bloom time, and a mounding habit.

Botanical denomination: Coreopsis spp.

Variety designation: ‘Tahitian Sun’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid of Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Tahitian Sun’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a tissue culture mutation from Coreopsis ‘Gold Nugget’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/901,047.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Tahitian Sun’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. large, daisy-type flowers that grow to 4.3 cm in diameter;     -   2. unique, rust red and gold bi-colored ray florets;     -   3. grass green foliage;     -   4. very free branching;     -   5. very free flowering;     -   6. long bloom time;     -   7. a mounding habit.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a nine-month-old Coreopsis ‘Tahitian Sun’ growing in the ground in the trial field in August 2007, in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of a nine-month-old specimen growing in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in the trial fields in August 2007, in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F in August to a low of 32 degrees F in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 7 to 9.         -   Size.—50 cm wide and 30 cm tall to top of inflorescences.         -   Form.—Mount.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, Grey Brown 199D, stems root easily from stem             cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—30 cm tall and 4 mm wide.         -   Internode length.—5 to 50 mm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Green 137A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Length.—Grows to 8 cm.         -   Width.—4 mm.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate, clasping.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Top side Yellow Green 147A, bottom side Yellow Green             147B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type             inflorescences.         -   Peduncle.—5 to 90 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow Green             147B.         -   Size.—Grows to 4.3 cm wide and 13 mm deep.         -   Immature.—10 mm long and 5 mm wide, ovoid, glabrous, Grey             Brown 199C on top half with Greyed Purple 187A on the tip             and Yellow Green 146A on bottom half.         -   Receptacle.—Bowl shaped, 5 mm wide and 5 mm deep, Green             137A.         -   Phyllary.—In two series, 8 lobes, stellate; inner series             grows to 12 mm wide and 7 mm deep, lobes reflex, ovate,             entire, acute, glabrous, 7 mm long and 3 mm wide, on both             sides top half Yellow Green 152C tipped with Greyed Purple             183A, bottom half Yellow Green 147A; outer series with 5 to             7 lobes, grows to 7 mm wide and 4 mm deep, glabrous, lobes             lanceolate, entire, acute, 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Green             137A on both sides.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Light, Chrysanthemum-like.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about 7 to 10 days. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—Composite.         -   Ray florets.—8 with no stamen or pistil, oblanceolate with             the tip usually three lobed with lobes obtuse and the             central lobe the longest, entire, grows to 22 mm long, 8.5             mm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, claw 1.5 mm long; color             topside on a young inflorescence the bottom half Greyed             Purple 187A bleeding into Yellow Orange 17A on the top half;             with maturity, the bottom half lightens to between Red 46A             and Greyed Purple 187B with the top half Greyed Orange 163A             from the blending; bottom side Greyed Yellow 162A.         -   Disc.—Conic, deeper with maturity, 5 mm wide and becoming 4             mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187B when in bud,             opening to Greyed Orange 163A with a background of Black             202A.         -   Disc florets.—About 65 in number, 9 mm long and 1 mm wide,             corolla 4 mm long, tubular, 4 lobed, lobes entire, acute,             Greyed Purple 187C, tube Yellow 11C; pistil 1, 7 cm long,             ovary 1.5 mm long, Green Yellow 1D, style 6 mm long,             extruding, with 2-branched stigma, stigma Yellow Orange 23A             and style Green Yellow 1D; stamen 5, 2 mm long, filaments             1.5 mm long, Black 202A, anthers 0.5 mm long, Black 202A,             pollen none. -   Seed: None produced.     -   -   Fertility.—Infertile. -   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal     spots. No resistance is known for this variety.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR COREOPSIS

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Gold Nugget’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,184), the mother plant, the new variety has ray florets of bicolor rust red with gold tips rather than bright yellow with a red center.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Autumn Blush’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/452,687) the new variety has a much lighter yellow ray floret color. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 